Advocate Online

From Capitol To Campus

The original sponsors of bills to repeal the Government Pension Offset (GPO) and Windfall Elimination Provisions (WEP)—Senator Feinstein (D-CA) in the Senate, and Representatives McKeon (R-CA) and Berman (D-CA) in the House—said they will reintroduce in the new 108th Congress bills to eliminate the Social Security provisions that unfairly penalize many public employees, including many in higher education.

Please encourage your Members of Congress to contact Sen. Feinstein and/or Reps. McKeon and Berman to co-sponsor the GPO/WEP repeal legislation.

The Senate’s federal-budget bill for the 2003 fiscal year would raise the maximum Pell Grant award to $4,100 but would cut spending on some other major student-aid programs, including the College Work Study program and Perkins Loans. The Senate would increase slightly spending for Gear Up and TRIO.

Many moderate Republicans in the House have publicly stated they are uncomfortable with the President’s funding levels for FY2003 and would like the House leadership to agree to the Senate’s added funding.

Please contact your Representatives and urge them to support the Senate-passed FY2003 appropriations bill in order to preserve increased funding for education.

Senators Pete DomEnici (R-NM) and Edward Kennedy (D-MA) and Representatives Jim Ramstad (R-MN) and Patrick Kennedy (D-RI) have introduced the Wellstone Mental Health Parity Act to ban insurance discrimination against people with mental health needs.

The bill is named in honor of the late Senator Paul Wellstone.